In 2010, a computer security firm in Belarus stumbled upon Stuxnet, a mysterious virus of unparalleled complexity that was attacking systems in Iran. Unlike any other virus or worm built before, this one didn't just simply hijack the targeted computers or steal information from them, it escaped the digital realm to wreak actual physical destruction on an Iranian nuclear facility. The first digital weapon discovered in the wild, Stuxnet shone a light on the potential for such attacks in the U.S., and what could happen if nation-state adversaries, terrorists or anonymous hacktivists were to launch destructive digital attacks against U.S. critical infrastructure. The hack of the Ukrainian power grid last year further showed how vulnerable critical systems are. In this session, Kim Zetter of WIRED will talk about Stuxnet and the security issues around the digital systems that control our critical infrastructure - trains, planes, water treatment plants and the power grid - as well as the products of our daily lives, including cars and medical equipment. The Internet of Things is more than just your mother's toaster.

Stuxnet and Beyond: Digital Weapons and the Future of Our Cities

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Stuxnet and Beyond: Digital Weapons and the Future of Our Cities

Kim Zetter

Author, Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

Kim Zetter is an award-winning investigative journalist and author who has been covering computer security and the hacking underground since 1999. She has broken numerous stories over the years and has three times been voted one of the top 10 security reporters in the nation by her journalism peers and security industry professionals. Zetter is considered one of the world's experts on Stuxnet and is the author of Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon.